Door latch



Sp t. 14,1948. R. E; WHITMORE 2,449,333

DOOR LATCH Filed April 14. 1945 Inventor Robef/E mil/mam Patented Sept. Isl, 1948 noon LATCH Robert E. Whitmore, Keokuk, Iowa Application April 14, 1945, Serial No. 588,328

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a door latch, and more particularly to such a latch adapted to be utilized as an outside latch for buildings such as garages, barns, and the like.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved latch characterized by a comparative minimum of moving parts.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of such a latch which will be sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and eflicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to assemble, install, and manufacture.

Other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully'pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein there .is disclosed a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the latch of the instant invention, showing a portion of the door and the door frame to which the latch is adapted to be associated,

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the latch shown in Figure 1, certain concealed parts thereof being indicated by dotted lines, and the knob being omitted for the sake ofillustration, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substan tially along the line of 3-3 of Figure 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Having reference now to the drawing, there is generally indicated at ID a door, and an associated door frame H. The door is provided with an aperture therethrough within which is positioned a sleeve I2, to which is affixed a knob l3. The sleeve 12 is secured in any desired manner, as by means of a set-screw M, to a shaft I5, which extends completely through the door, and latch housing l8 and terminates in a knob IS. A second sleeve l'l surrounds that portion of the shaft within the latch housing I 8, and abuts one side of a lever [9, a collar 20 being positioned between the lever and the outside wall of the latch housing l8. As best shown in Figure 2, the lever l9 extends upwardly above the shaft IS on which it is fixed, and has an elongated slot 2| in its upper portion, adapted to be engaged by a pin 22 which extends through a bolt 23, the pin 22 being headed at both ends, as at 24 (see Figure 3) The extremity 3| of the bolt 23 is adapted to extend outwardly through a suitable aperture of the end wall of the casing l8 and engage in a corresponding aperture 25 in a keeper 26 secured to the frame ll.

A washer 21 is secured at a suitable point on the bolt 23 and serves to compress a coil spring 28 when the bolt is retracted. The lever l9 has a lug 33 set out from an intermediate portion, and inwardly turned, adapted to underlie the bolt 23 to preclude movement of the lever I91 beyond a substantially vertical position, and hence limit the forward travel of the bolt 23.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device should now be readily understandable. It will be readily seen that when the knob l 6 or the knob I 3 is rotated in a clockwise direction the lever l9 which, as above pointed out, is securely fixed to the shaft [5, will be rotated through an arc, serving, through the pin 22, to withdrawthebolt 23 from its associated keeper 2% against the compression of the spring 28. However, as soon as the pressure on either of the knobs'is released, the spring will bias the bolt 23 outwardly until further motion is precluded by the engagement of the lug 33 with the underside of the bolt. As is conventional practice, the keeper engaging end of the bolt is arcuate, as indicated at 3|, and the keeper 26 has an inclined portion 32, whereby, when the door is slammed, the bolt will engage the keeper, being guided thereinto by the coaction of the surfaces 3! and 32. A projecting lug 3 3'is struck from the housing l8, and serves as a support for a lock, or the like, if desired.

From the foregoing, it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved latch accomplishing all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that allfn atj ter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. l l

I claim:

l. A door latch including a bolt, a bolt operating shaft disposed transversely to said bolt, a lever secured to said shaft, a longitudinally extending slot in the outer terminal of said lever, a pin secured to said bolt and slidably secured into said slot, a stop lug secured to said lever for en gagement with said bolt to limit oscillation of said lever and resilient means biasing said bolt into the latching position.

2. A door latch including a casing having a bolt aperture, 2. bolt slidable in said casing and extending through'said aperture, a coil spring surrounding said bolt and abutting a wall of the casing for yieldingly urging said bolt into latching position, a bolt operating shaft journaled in said casing transverse said bolt, a lever secured to REFERENCES CITED said shaft and having its outer end adjacent said bolt, a slot in said outer end, a pm secured to and The following references are of record in the extending transversely through said bolt and slidme of this patent:

able in said slot, means for actuating said shaft 5 V UNITED STATES PATENTS to oscillate said lever and reciprocate said bolt Number Name Date and a stop lug extending transversely from said 1 214 892 Budd Feb 6 1917 lever and parallel to said pin and engageable with 1:435:581 Brown 1922 said bolt to limit the oscillatory movement of said 10 1,786,521 Dermody 30, 1930 lever and the latching stroke of said bolt. 1,816,134 Wood July 28, 1931 1,904,602 Axe Apr. 18, 1933 ROBERT E. WHITMORE. 2,074,979 Brantingson Mar. 23, 1937 

